Meet the Team

Dr. Jamie Spiegel, PhD

Director

Dr. Spiegel received her PhD in clinical psychology from Florida State University. She completed her clinical internship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and her postdoctoral fellowship at Florida International University. Dr. Spiegel worked as an Assistant Professor and Associate Clinic Director at the University of South Alabama for two years, prior to beginning at The University of South Florida in 2024. Her work focuses on addressing functional difficulties associated with externalizing behavior disorders, such as ADHD and ODD. Her research centers around the development and assessment of interventions aimed at addressing the school readiness, academic, social, and behavioral needs of young children with behavior disorders. She has begun extending her work to examine the effectiveness of such interventions for use with those children who are most at-risk, such as those currently experiencing homelessness.

Dr. Spiegel's CV

Luisa M. Bermeo

Graduate Student -- 3rd Year

Luisa M. Bermeo is a third-year doctoral student in the Clinical Science Psychology program at USF. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology from Florida International University. As a post-bacc, she worked as a counselor for the Summer Treatment Program for Pre-K which helps children with externalizing disorders (e.g. ADHD and ODD) get ready for kindergarten. In addition, Luisa worked as a Project Coordinator for the AHEAD Project in the S.E.L.F. Regulation lab at Florida International University which focused on a multidisciplinary understanding of ADHD. Her research interests are executive functioning as it relates to diagnosis of ADHD, and emotion regulation in parents and their children as moderators of treatment outcomes.

Amber Riggs

Graduate Student -- 2nd Year

Amber Riggs is a second-year doctoral student in the Clinical Science Psychology program at USF. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Human Development & Family Sciences from Florida State University. As a post-bacc, she worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Nationwide Children's Hospital researching the social, emotional, and academic functioning of children with chronic illnesses. In addition, Amber worked as a Counselor for the ADHD Summer Treatment Program at Currey Ingram Academy which helps elementary-aged children with ADHD prepare for a successful school year. Her research interests include the diagnostic criteria and long-term outcomes of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Sophia Meibohm

Graduate Student -- 1st Year

Sophia Meibohm is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Science Psychology program at USF. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Miami, double majoring in Neuroscience and Global Health Studies. During her post-bacc, she worked as a Research Associate in the Child Division of the University of Miami’s Department of Psychology, examining predictors of emerging literacy as well as exploring language and social interaction in preschool-aged children with and without neurodevelopmental disorders. Sophia’s research interests include literacy development, school readiness, and early intervention strategies in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Meet the Undergraduates

Aaliyah Mathew

Aaliyah is a second year biomedical sciences major. After graduation she hopes to pursue a cereer as a dentist.

Alisha Abraham

Alisha is a fourth-year Psychology major. She hopes to attend graduate school after completing her undergraduate degree to become a pediatric psychologist.

Ashley Clifton

Ashley is a fourth-year student who transferred from Pasco-Hernando State College to finisher her Bachelor's at USF. After undergrad, she is planning to pursue a PhD in psychology.

Cailey Sullivan

Cailey is a fourth-year Psychology major with a minor in Addiction Studies. Her goal is to pursue a PhD in either developmental or cognitive psychology. Cailey worked as an RBT for two years and discovered her passion for working with kids with neurodiversity.

Gianna Dimaggio

Gianna is a third year Psychology major. She originally was a Health Science major before finding her passion for Psychology. She plans on pursuing a graduate degree in Occupational Therapy.

Kayla Ertürk

Kayla is a junior majoring in Psychology at USF. Her interests center around how cultural context shapes mental health and behavior. After undergrad, she hopes to pursue graduate studies in psychology and continue exploring mental health across different cultural contexts.

Rabea Ahmed

Rabea is a fourth-year international student from Pakistan studying Psychology and Behavioral Healthcare. She hopes to join a Clinical Psychology PhD program and focus on research in making ASD and ADHD evaluations more accessible in low-income countries like Pakistan.

Rysun Chu

Rysun is a third-year Psychology and History double major. He is pursuing psychiatry after medical school and hopes to model in fashion advertisements.

Walker Taylor

Walker is completing his Master’s in Psychological Sciences with a certificate in Data Analysis. His interests center on executive functioning, ADHD, and mood disorders, and he has worked with EEG, eye-tracking, and meta-analytic methods in Dr. Spiegel’s lab and Dr. Owens’ TROPICS lab. Walker also serves as a teaching assistant and tutor and plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology beginning Fall 2026.

Lab Hall of Fame

Emma Starr - Undergraduate research assistant at USF (1 year), Graduated from USF cum laude with a BA in Psychology May 2025 -- where they are now: Master's in School Psychology at USF
Madison Parfait - REACH Lab Project Coordinator (2 years) Graduated from the Brain and Behavioral Science Master's Program at the University of South Alabama (USA) in 2023 -- where they are now: Medical School at USA
Hayley Mullinax - REACH Lab Graduate Student Collaborator (2 years) Graduated from the Brain and Behavioral Science Master's Program at USA in 2022 -- where they are now: PhD in School Psychology program at University of Kansas
Courtney Lewis - REACH Lab undergraduate RA (1 year), Brain and Behavioral Science Master's Program at USA (1 year) -- where they are now: 2nd year in BBS program at USA
Annie Edwards - REACH Lab undergrad RA(1 year)

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